Their Beacon of Hope
by mangyhalfbreed
Summary: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin have been through more than the average couple. The War continues to rage around them and several of their comrades and loved ones have lost their lives, the danger ever-growing with each passing day. But there is a turquoise-colored light at the end of the tunnel. Their son is their beacon of hope.


"You bastard!" Came yet another roar from beside him. Remus forced himself not to wince as his young wife's hand squeezed his even tighter. How it wasn't turning purple by now, he had no idea. "Damn it, Lupin! This is your fault! _All - your - fault!_" She cried out, her hair exploding into various colors ranging from mauve to a canary yellow. Remus resisted the urge to point out that it takes not one, but two people to conceive a child. He had a feeling that would not go over well and in her current state of mind she may have throttled him within an inch of his life. "We're ne-_never_ having sex again,_ d'you hear me?_" She snarled.

"I know, Dora. Just breathe, sweetheart," he said soothingly, smoothing the bangs off of her forehead which were damp with sweat. "Breathe."

"Breathe? Don't - don't make me laugh, y-you bloody great pillock-_kkAAAUGH_." Another contraction violently wracked her petite frame and Tonks was blinking back tears. "Remus, I can't do this. I can't. It's just too much." She panted heavily, seemingly unable to catch a breath at the moment. It was clear to him that she was on the brink of exhaustion. Lupin merely shook his head and now held her hand in both of his.

"No, you're wrong. You_ can_ do this, Nymphadora. You are the bravest, strongest person that I know." His voice was thick with determination to see her through this. "After everything you've overcome, this is nothing. Look at me, my darling." And she did. Her brown, tired eyes were half-lidded but still held their familiar spark. Remus felt the corners of his mouth hitch upwards into the beginnings of a smile. "You can do this." He repeated quietly.

"There's a girl, Tonks. You're doing wonderfully. I need you to push again for me now, love. Can you do that for me?" Molly's voice wafted in between them. Tonks eyelids clenched shut and her face screwed up in agony. She pushed with everything she had. "That's it, one more! Brilliant, Tonks! Come on, now. They're almost there..."

"Think of them." He murmured into her ear, practically inaudible when compared to Molly's slightly raised voice. "Think of our baby. Think of how long you've waited for them, how it will feel to hold them in your arms. Think of how much they will be loved." He hummed softly.

But all of Remus' breath left his body as Tonks fell silent and one single, piercing cry echoed throughout the room. It seemed like an eternity passed before he watched, almost hypnotized, as Molly placed a tiny, wriggling form against Tonks' chest before shooting them a fleeting, radiant smile and backed out of their bedroom all together. The baby was swaddled in a small, green blanket and he heard Dora utter a small sob. "Oh my god." She breathed, her tone hushed and filled to the brim with a barely-concealed awe as her hand left his and her arms wrapped instinctively around the wailing child. "Look. Look at him, Remus."

Him?_ A son,_ he thought dazedly, mind temporarily imploding. _I have a son._

He scooted closer and his eyes widened as he peered down into the face of their boy. The beautiful life they created together in a dark and dreary world. A baby boy with his mother's heart-shaped face and a button nose. His hair was thick and a light, almost sandy brown. "He's perfect." Remus rasped, feeling faint. _Perfect._ Had his lycanthropy... had it really left the child untouched?

"I told you," Tonks said happily, almost deliriously so. Her hair bloomed into the brightest shade of pink that he had ever seen and she was positively glowing. "I told you he'd be alright. Wotcher, my love. Happy birthday." She cooed, the baby's crying withering into more of a whimper. Her breath hitched. "Do you know who I am? I'm your mummy, of course. How d'you like that?" She was smiling so wide that he was surprised her face hadn't cracked in half. "And you see this man here? Yes, the rather tall and lanky one. He's your father." Her eyes found Remus' just then. The pure love and adoration shining within them was almost enough to make him gasp.

Snapping him back into reality, Tonks leaned towards him and carefully lowered the baby into his arms. Lupin tried not to panic. What if he hurt him or God forbid _dropped_ him? What would a werewolf know about handling a baby? "You're fine," said Dora firmly, sensing his unease from the moment it built in his gut. "Just keep his head up. That's right."

He sat back in his chair and marveled at how amazing it felt to simply hold his son, his weight resting comfortably against Remus' torso. It was like the rest of the world ceased to exist and all that mattered was his family. Yes, a family they are now. "Perfect..." Was that all he could manage to say? Remus swallowed the lump in his throat and tried again. "Hello, little one." He mumbled, the gentlest of smiles gracing his lips. "Welcome to the world." How? _How_ could he have taken part in something so precious? How could he have almost _abandoned_ this completely?

"We have to name him, you know. We can't keep tossing those pet-names at him forever," Tonks said in quiet amusement. The baby gurgled almost in reply and Remus chuckled lowly.

"I suppose you're right." His eyes narrowed momentarily in thought. Dora watched the two of them with a sense of puzzlement about her.

"We really should've discussed names before. I can't believe we haven't-"

"Teddy." Remus told her calmly, feeling oddly tranquil yet certain. "His name is Teddy." His heart clenched as her tears returned ten-fold. She wiped them away on the sleeve of her arm and sniffled some.

"You're sure?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly. Losing her father had filled her with such an indescribable amount of grief. And he knew that the up-and-coming birth of their child had made it that much harder on her._ 'He would've been the best grandad,_' Tonks sobbed one night into the front of his jumper. He nodded, reaching out and finding her hand once more while cradling the boy in the other arm. He laced their fingers together swiftly.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Teddy is, in my opinion, the only name that could ever suit him."

Just then the baby's nose twitched and very slowly his brown hair faded away - a bright, rather obnoxious turquoise filling it's place. His parents froze in complete shock. Instead of being burdened with his father's curse, he was born with his mother's gift of color. Lupin was practically beaming in pride. "Our Teddy..." Tonks whispered.

"Our Teddy." Remus agreed, pulling her closer and dipping his head to place a kiss onto the tip of Teddy's nose. He could never thank Tonks enough for this. He could never thank her enough for her acceptance, for her love and for his son. Remus Lupin had left them once. But he vowed to never make that mistake again.

_Nothing_ can make him let them go.


End file.
